Children's Healthcare of Atlanta has begun removing and relocating 50 trees to make way for its new $1.3 billion hospital in Brookhaven.

The city of Brookhaven is assisting in the project, which involves identifying trees that could be saved on the new CHOA campus, located off North Druid Hills Road on Tullie Circle. Children's is currently preparing to begin construction on the massive new hospital.

“This is a unique example of sustainable development, very much in line with the city’s renewed push for achieving overall sustainability,” Brookhaven’s interim development services manager Eric Long said in a statement. Long, also a certified arborist, was the first to propose the idea and approached CHOA about relocating the trees.

So far, the city has moved seven trees: three red oaks, three large dogwoods and one redbud tree. Children's said 43 others will be kept in a "holding nursery" in Osborne Park and will later be moved to parks and other locations around Brookhaven, including the new Peachtree Creek Greenway.

Chris Chelette, vice president of planning design and construction for Children’s, said the hospital is “excited to join with Brookhaven in the effort to save and relocate these viable trees.”

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